Zhuang stopped at the front door and turned back to look at the man on the floor.
“He’s not taking the omega back to the clan.”
Zhuang frowned. “Why not?”
“I think he’s washed his hands of the whole clan. He had some of the enforcers round up the other cubs, anyone underage. They’re supposed to be meeting Alpha Osamu at a town a couple of hours south of here, but they’re bringing the kids here instead.”
“Why would they do that?”
“We want no part of taking cubs from their parents, sir. We’ve tried to get help, but the elder we spoke to admonished us for telling tales and then sent us home to our alpha. Our families paid for our betrayal, sir.”
Zhuang didn’t have to imagine how they had paid for it. He had heard too many stories from Xias. But something the man said stuck with Zhuang. “What elder did you speak to?”
“Elder Yang, sir.”
Zhuang growled. It would seem in killing Elder Yang, Osamu had been cleaning up his mess. That actually kind of made sense. It also made the video of Xias talking with Elder Yang and Osamu make sense. Zhuang could never figure out why the elder had sent the enforcers out of the room or why he was so ready to buy Osamu’s story about Xias.
The fucker was working with Osamu.
Zhuang was glad he was dead. It meant he wouldn’t have to kill the guy.
“I think he plans to start a new clan somewhere else, sir.”
Not if Zhuang could help it. He pointed directly down the hallway. “You go down there and knock on that door. You ask to speak to Elder Shen, and only Elder Shen. You tell him what you told me. You tell him everything.”
“Uh…”
“What?” Zhuang snapped.
“Our families, sir. Osamu threatened to kill them if we betrayed him again.”
Zhuang lowered his eyebrows in a menacing glare. “Do what I told you to do. Elder Shen is the only one I trust to treat you fairly.”
The man gulped. “Yes, sir.”
Zhuang shifted and headed out the door. He knew of only one road that led south away from the council estate. Osamu had a head start on him, but Zhuang had grown up here. He knew every shortcut to and from the place. If he went through the woods, he’d be able to cut Osamu off even if he was in a car.
“Tao, call my father and tell him Osamu has Xias. He’s on the road headed south. I’m going after him.”
“Zian and Shiro are here,”Tao replied. “Do you want me to send them to join you?”
Zhuang was so relieved he almost stumbled. “Yes, send Zian. He’s quicker. Tell him to get to the road as fast as he can. Osamu is in a vehicle. I’m going to cut him off through the woods to the southeast of where you are.”
“He’s on his way, Zhuang,” Tao said.
“Also tell my father two shifters are about to knock on his office door. He needs to listen to what they have to say. They were supposed to fight me and slow me down, but they gave up pretty quickly. They have a lot to say about what’s happening in Osamu’s clan.”
“Yeah, okay, I’m calling him now.”
“And tell him Elder Yang was up to his neck in this shit.”
Tao growled. “Too bad the guy is dead.”
Elder Yang might be dead, but someone more dangerous was still breathing. For now. If Zhuang had anything to say about it, Osamu wouldn’t live to see the next sunrise.
Zhuang just had to kill him.
Chapter Fourteen
